How to make a printed book of messages for a 50th birthday
Collect a message and a photo from each friend and relative through one link, give people two to three weeks, then print the messages as a hardcover book with one message per page. In ChatGPT, Penround collects the messages from any browser, lets you approve each one, and prints an 8.5 × 8.5 inch hardcover with every message, its photo and a page of everyone who signed, shipped in the US and Canada.
Step by step
- Make the list. Think in decades: school friends, old roommates, colleagues, neighbors and family. Fifty years covers a lot of people.
- Set the deadline around printing. Printing and shipping take about 12 to 13 business days in the US (7 to 8 with Express). Close signing at least three weeks before the birthday.
- Ask for a photo from their decade. Each signer can add one photo. A picture from when they met makes each page.
- Approve every message. Read each message before it goes in the book, and hide anything that doesn’t belong.
- Personalize the cover. Pick a theme, add a cover photo and write a note for the first pages.
- Order the book. You need at least 3 approved messages. The book holds up to 150, one per page.
- Send the card on the day too. Schedule the email for the birthday morning, so the messages arrive on the day even if the book comes later.
Ways to do it, compared
| Guest book at the party | Memory-book services (for example Newlywords) | Photo-book site you fill in yourself | Penround in ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People who can’t attend can contribute | No | Yes | Only by sending you their message | Yes, by link |
| Who does the layout | Nobody; it is handwritten | They do | You do | Automatic: one message per page |
| Messages approved before printing | No | Depends on the service | You choose | Yes, every message |
| A card on the day as well | No | Depends on the service | No | Yes, by email or link at a set time |
| Format | The guest book itself | Printed book; formats vary | Photo book | 8.5 × 8.5 in hardcover, up to 150 messages, US and Canada |
When something else fits better
If you want guests to write by hand at the party, a guest book is the simplest keepsake. If the book needs to ship outside the US and Canada, Penround can’t do that yet.
Use Penround in ChatGPT
In ChatGPT, open Plugins, search for Penround and add it, or mention Penround in a chat. Then ask, for example:
- “Make a birthday card for Dad that all the cousins can add a message to”
- “Who has signed so far?”
- “Can I get these messages as a printed book?”
Available in ChatGPT soon How Penround works in ChatGPT
Questions
How many messages can the book hold?
Up to 150, one per page, with each signer’s photo above their message. A card can collect up to 300, and you choose which go in.
Do people need an account to add a message?
No. They open the link in any browser and add a message and, if they like, a photo.
Can I see the messages before they are printed?
Yes. Every message waits for your approval, and only approved messages go into the book.
Where does the book ship?
To the United States and Canada. Signers and the birthday person can be anywhere for the card itself.